The Station Canteen & Espresso

A newly opened eatery just down the road from Auckland University.
Nice.
$ 6 meals! Are you serious?!
$ 3 Happy Hour beers! That’s a crazy price!
I was already thinking — dodgy student dive, Young Ones style lentil slop served in a miserable, dingy venue. Well, prepare to be surprised!
The Station Canteen surprises you with style from the moment you enter the unassuming road frontage. A large, meandering space is well fitted out with mismatched vintage furniture, old worlde photographs lining the walls and a bookshelf heaving with great reads. Sumptuous rugs & chandeliers add to the charm, along with plenty of bright foliage. You can choose to sit at tables, couches or window booths. There are lovely views out over Auckland Harbour & even sneaky peeks into neighbouring rooftop gardens if you fancy having a nosey! The staff are genuinely friendly, happy & keen to help; along with prompt service, this can often be a rarity in Auckland.
The menu is displayed on a blackboard & is split between Asian & Italian delights; 2 very different chefs at work here! As for the $ 6 prices, I don’t know how they do it. Pad Thai overflowing with succulent prawns, spicy & fragrant Beef Mussaman Curry, Spaghetti Bolognaise and Chicken & Mushroom Carbonara; each dish authentic, flavoursome & skimping on neither ingredients nor taste. There are several «Chef’s Signature» dishes for more than $ 6, but again still reasonably priced.
With a convenient location, ridiculously good prices and even open late, the Station Canteen are making it easy for everyone to get in & try their food. Believe me, you won’t be sorry.

The bummer about the Station is that they just upped their prices, so the $ 6 options are now $ 8 – 10, and the $ 6 stuff is more limited. That said, the soup options at $ 6 are still quite filling and pretty tasty.
There’s something about this place that is cozy and sweet. The décor is bizzare thrift shop — not thrift shop chic, just thrifty. But somehow it feels homey, and there’s usually a mixed age crowd from the Uni there around happy hour (which ends at 5? not cool).
It somehow manages to be a good cheap option in the area — good coffees, solid pad thai and stir fry over rice… its relatively no frills, but manages to be satisfying for your tummy and your wallet.

Money stretches here!
$ 6 for a main meal. I had Tofu Pad Thai for lunch and I ended up taking away more than half of my plate for dinner. I went with a friend and one plate for two would have been enough but who knew $ 6 would go that far!
The casual setting is a nice change from its formerly depressing state. Teas are served nicely and coffee isn’t too bad either. Definitely going back soon

$ 6 meals. And they’re great! For this reason, it’s become a student favourite overnight. Nuff said.

Where the Arena hotel itself is just cheap and depressing, The Station Canteen & espresso is cheap and cheerful. Having just opened on Friday the 15^th of March, I heard about it by word of mouth so as I was in the neighborhood and feeling peckish I decided I would check it out.
Personally I think this is an awesome addition to the Arena Hotel, it just might make the former pull its socks up a little at any rate.
It really is hard to describe what sort of food this restaurant specializes in exactly as it seems an odd mish mash. From spaghetti bolognaise (they have an Italian chef apparently) to salads right around to pad Thai and a chicken rice dish. While normally this would be slightly perplexing, I just had to overlook it as the meals are all $ 6, I mean come on cheap right! As an opening day deal you also get a free can of drink as well.
I had the chicken and cashew nut dish on rice and must say I really enjoyed it, not much chicken but true you do get what you pay for.
Another oddity is they have two meals which are in the $ 30 price range which seems pretty steep considering everything else is so cheap. The décor of this place is really great, kinda nerdy cool, with mismatched tables and chairs and a big bookshelf tucked away in the back. And they have free wifi which is always fab too!